Madison's Bedtime Story
by Zeta Sigma
Summary: Suzie is dead, and until they find another home for Madison, Horatio is in charge...


Madison's Bedtime Story

Zeta Sigma

He couldn't believe it was her.

She was still so young, but there she lay, dead on the pavement of an alleyway. It was probably her ex. That guy was so unpredictable. She had been stabbed several times, crudely and sloppily, the wounds jagged and most likely from a double-edged blade judging by the style of the gashes. He knew she'd been an addict, but she'd decided to get clean for her daughter. For Madison.

Horatio's sister-in-law was a sweet girl, who obviously cared about Ray and was sad that he had been killed. He had been proud of her when she'd informed him that she didn't want to tell Yelina about their child, and that had endeared her to him. And he liked Madison; she was a good kid, quiet and loved her mommy more than anything in the world.

"H?" Ryan's voice jolted him back to reality, back to the crime scene, back to the blood and the gore and the dirty alley where Susie Barnham was murdered and left. "You okay?"

"Yes…" Horatio answered slowly, fiddling with the ear pieces on his signature shades. "Yes, Mr. Wolfe. I'm fine."

XXX

Horatio had been placed in charge of Madison until they found her a more permanent home, and he drove to the girl's school just as all the children were leaving. He stepped out of his Hummer; locked the doors and waited by the gate for her.

His young niece walked out the front doors with some of her friends, her little blonde pigtails bouncing as she jumped down the steps, giggling. He smiled to himself and leaned against the chain link fence, hands in his pockets as she made her way to him. She didn't notice at first, but when she did, when she looked up and saw his bright red hair and his gray suit, her whole face lit up. She beamed and ran towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug.

"Uncle Horatio!" She squealed, and he chuckled.

"Hey kiddo, how's it going?" He asked, picking her up and smiling.

"It was good so far. Benjamin gave me a flower today." She grinned mischievously at him, and he raised his eyebrows.

"He did? Why'd he do that?" He asked, setting her down again.

"He said it had bugs in it. Gross." She grimaced, and Horatio frowned in agreement. "But that's not what he told _me_. He said that to everyone else. I think he was just trying to make it look like he was trying to gross me out, though."

"Okay, so you think it means something?" He questioned curiously, and she nodded, motioning for him to bend down so she could whisper.

"I think he has a crush on me." Madison breathed, and Horatio grinned.

"You think?"

"Yeah. I think." Madison agreed, taking his hand and walking with him to the Hummer.

"So, has anyone visited your classroom lately? To talk to you or anything?" Horatio asked, as he helped her in. "See, a situation has come up, and you're going to stay with me for a little while. Okay?"

"Yay! I finally get to see your house?"

"That's right!"

"Actually, Uncle Horatio, there was somebody in my classroom today. She was tall and wore a suit. Like yours, only she was wearing high heels. I don't think you wear high heels." She giggled at the image of her uncle trying to walk in women's shoes. "But she told me that I was going to meet a new family. She didn't say why, not yet." Madison explained, and Horatio nodded.

"Okay. Just curious. Ready to see my castle?" He asked, trying to make her excited to distract her from that woman.

"Ready!"

And he shut the car door.

XXX

"Okay sweetie. All ready for bed?" Horatio asked, as the little girl meandered into the spare bedroom in her pajamas, which the woman from earlier had given her, along with a backpack put together for an overnight stay.

She nodded and climbed under the covers, settling in while Horatio knelt beside the bed. She snuggled into her mattress, holding Teddy close to her and waiting for something.

"Well… I guess you're all tucked in, so… Goodnight, Madison." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, rising to his feet.

"Wait!" She squeaked, catching hold of his sleeve before he could leave.

"What's up?" He asked, returning to her side and putting his hands in the pockets of his navy blue plaid pajama bottoms. "Is there something you still need?"

"No… But you haven't read me a bedtime story." Madison protested. He blinked once. Twice. "You can't put me to bed without reading me a bedtime story."

He looked slightly confused for a moment, but sat down in the chair by the window and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Hm… A bedtime story…" He murmured, trying to come up with an idea, and fast. Little girls liked stories about princesses and castles, didn't they? Oh well. That was his best shot. "Okay, here it goes…"

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a little girl named Astrid. She was fierce and brave, and was always getting into trouble with the street boys. Her parents didn't like her playing with such dirty children, but she didn't listen, and every day, Astrid would sneak outside to wrestle with the boys. But Astrid was a princess; she would become the queen of the faraway land, once her mother was gone and it was her turn to lead with a king. It was absolutely unacceptable for a royal child to be spending time with street children.

As Astrid got older, her love for the fight grew. It got harder and harder for her parents to control her actions, what she did and when, and she was passing more and more time with the boys. But the boys had started to change too: they were treating her differently, they weren't fighting as viciously as they had when they were younger. Astrid was confused. She wanted more of a challenge, but with these young men, she wasn't getting it.

So one day, Astrid sat down in front of her mirror by the large window, her white nightgown pale in the moonlight that streamed in, and cut her hair.

"All of it?" Madison cut in, amazed. Horatio nodded.

"All of it. Every last strand."

She snipped here and there until she looked just like a boy, and then she crept into her parents' room and searched for the smallest outfit that she could find belonging to her father, a dagger and a pouch of coins, along with some provisions and she sped off on a stolen horse.

Astrid looked just like a boy. To make it even more real, she wore a black scarf around her mouth and nose, only exposing her beautiful green eyes, for she wore a hat. She rode for a very long time, crossing mountains and plains, not really knowing what she was looking for, just that she was looking for something.

And then finally, after riding for an eternity, Astrid found the thing she was searching for. She sat on the horse's back in front of the opening to a cave, skeletons lying here and there around the black. A sign by the entrance read 'TURN BACK – DRAGON'S DEN', but Astrid went inside anyway.

"No, Astrid! Don't do it!" Madison whimpered, worried for the fictional princess.

"Oh, but she can't hear you." Horatio teased, grinning when she rolled her eyes and lightly hit his knee.

"Just continue the story, uncle."

Astrid dismounted her horse and slowly ventured inside, torches placed here and there along the walls, lighting the cave as she walked. The sounds of flames were heard, roaring and dangerous as she went further in. And then there was a door. Astrid's hands shook as she reached for her dagger, pulling it out to see what was behind door number one. She opened it, and there sat a huge dragon, fifty feet tall!

Astrid's eyes widened. She tried to leave, but the dragon had moved his tail, blocking the only exit. He opened his massive jaws, shooting a jet of flames in her direction. She managed to avoid it, but the dragon was quick; another streak of fire came at her. She grabbed a shield right at the last second, wrenching it from the grasp of a cooked knight. It worked for the brief moment, but Astrid had to think of something more long term.

With swift agility, Astrid dashed towards the dragon and plunged her dagger into the belly of the beast. The dragon shrieked, but a tiny sword wasn't going to stop him. She climbed up his stomach and grabbed onto one of the thorns on his back, making her way up his spine. She reached his face, and the dragon whipped his head around, trying to shake her off. She held on tightly, and when the moment was right, thrust her dagger into the dragon's eye, killing him.

The small sword pierced the dragon's large brain, and Astrid was up to her shoulder in eyeball guts. The dragon fell to the ground, dead, throwing Astrid to the dirty floor. Her arm was covered in blood, and her backside was bruised, but she was otherwise alright. She'd found the kind of fight she had been wanting for so long.

"So what did Astrid do?"

"She became a Dragon Slayer." Horatio explained, and Madison gaped.

"Really? A Dragon Slayer princess?"

Her uncle nodded.

Astrid got to her feet, wiping off her dagger and putting it back in its pouch. She adjusted her scarf, walking towards the dragon's body and noticing the small treasure chest in his claws. She managed to free it, and she opened it up, pulling out a large blue pearl and putting it in her coin pouch. That would bring her some good money…

And then she left the dragon's den to follow her dreams.

She climbed back onto her horse and rode to the nearest town, a small village called Tarot, tying her horse up in front of the little inn and strode inside, greeting the man at the desk with a nod. He directed her to her room, and she climbed into the little bed with her clothes still on.

She sat downstairs in the pub, wondering if dragons were ever going to be brought up. She was looking for work; if someone would talk to her, then maybe she could get a job. Astrid noticed there was a strange man watching her, his hat pulled down over his face. Intrigued, she rose and approached him.

"Princess Astrid." He murmured, and she flashed him a warning expression. "Your mother and father are worried about you."

"I'm surprised they even noticed I was gone." She stated.

"I'm not here to return you to them." He corrected. "I have a job for you."

"I'm listening."

"The Mines of Ledas have been taken over by a dragon."

"It'll cost you."

"100 gold coins."

She thought for a moment.

"I'll do it."

"But… Astrid is risking her life! Isn't a hundred coins like a hundred dollars?" Madison asked, and Horatio nodded. "Why didn't she ask for more?"

"She was getting paid for something she wanted to do. She wasn't going to risk blowing it." He explained, and Madison still looked doubtful. "Just… Trust me."

Astrid traveled to the Mines of Ledas, arriving at the entrance shortly. The tracks led down into the darkness, and Astrid followed them, quickly finding herself in the lair of the dragon. She killed the beast with no issues, then hurried back to the inn to meet the strange man.

"It's done." She announced triumphantly, and he handed her the pouch of coin.

And so Astrid's career as a Dragon Slayer commenced, fetching troubled people from far and wide, coming to her for help with their dragon infestations. Then, one day, this all changed.

Astrid had received a job from a young man, concerning a well. Somehow, the dragon had managed to set up a home in the depths of the well, and this man had hoped Astrid could chase it out, as it wouldn't let them get any water.

She agreed, of course; no dragon could defeat Astrid the Dragon Slayer. She climbed into the bucket of the well, allowing them to lower her into the dragon's home. The slithering beast peered at her from the darkness, and she stood poised, waiting for it to show itself.

Well, it did. The people above were horrified as Astrid screamed and the dragon screeched, and then, after ten minutes, all was silent. Nobody knew what had happened to Astrid, and after waiting for what seemed like forever, everyone had come to the same conclusion:

Astrid was dead.

"Wait, what?" Madison was outraged. Horatio shrugged.

"The dragon killed her."

Madison's eyebrows hit the roof. She shook her head, disagreeing with her uncle's idea of a bedtime story.

"What a terrible story."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry!" He said sarcastically, and she sighed.

"THIS is how you should end it."

Luckily, once all was quiet, Astrid groaned and jerked on the rope. The others hoisted her up – she was badly burned, but alive. They fixed her up, and she survived, though she never fought another dragon again.

Astrid returned to the kingdom, and her family rejoiced when they saw she was okay. The strange man who gave her the first job was there, and when he exposed his true face, she realized it was her childhood friend, Henry.

They fell in love. When they married, they took over as king and queen of the land, and lived happily ever after.

Horatio stared at her.

"THAT'S your big imaginative ending?" He asked, surprised. "That was horrible! There weren't any twists and turns or anything!"

"…That's not the point, Uncle Horatio. It's supposed to have a happy ending." Madison explained, and he sighed heavily.

"Well, if you say so."

Before he could turn off the light and close the door, she leapt out of bed and rushed towards him. She tugged on his pajama shirt, forcing him to bend down, and then kissed his cheek. His face grew slightly warm at the affectionate gesture, and Madison jumped back into bed and crawled under the covers.

"Goodnight, uncle." She said, then fell asleep almost instantly.

He smiled, turned off the light.

"Goodnight, Madison.

End


End file.
